This 500-gram card stock is coated with a metallized holographic film, which produces a striking effect for product packaging. For this application, we were tasked to cut the 0.0275” (0.7 mm) thick card stock to size on an XY table and then, in a separate process, mark a background image.

Our cutting setup consisted of an XY gantry system where the beam is directed through two flying optics and into a 2.5” (63.5 mm) focusing lens. This setup provides a 0.004” (100 micron) spot with a 0.07” (1.8 mm) depth of focus. To protect the lens and aid cutting, 40 PSI of clean, dry air is sent coaxially with the beam through the nozzle. Using 200 watts of power, we achieved clean, cut edges at speeds in excess of 2000 inches per minute (IPM).

For marking, we setup an FH Series marking head with a 125 mm focusing lens (180 micron spot with a 3 mm depth of focus). To demonstrate a sample mark, we first imported a DXF drawing into WinMark Pro and then added both TrueType and stroke text (European). Marking Resolution for all objects was set to 600, Velocity was 20 inches per second (IPS), and the laser’s PWM duty cycle percentage (Power) was set to provide 6 watts. The overall image measures 2” by 1.5” (52 mm x 40 mm) and was marked in a cycle time of 4.1 seconds.